Snow Dragon fails to melt ice

Heavy ice stalled the 'Snow Dragon', a Chinese ice-breaking ship from reaching a scientific ship stuck in an ice pact off East Antarctica.

With 74 people on board Russian Academic ship 'Shokalskiy' currently used by the Australasian Antarctic Expedition. However, on Christmas day the ship was trapped in an ice pack 1,500 nautical miles south of Hobart. Thick sheets of ice,  strong winds, and the fear of blizzards hampered rescue attempts. However hopes surged for 'Shokalskiy's crew had as Chinese ice-breaking ship 'Snow Dragon' appeared on the horizon. Unfortunately the icebreaker was itself stalled by heavy ice after arriving just seven nautical miles (11 km) from the expedition ship.

The 'Snow Dragon', also known as the 'Xue Long' was forced to return to the open sea. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority, confirmed a French vessel had also failed to penetrate the ice, while another ship, Australia's Antarctic resupply ship the 'Aurora Australis', could reach the stuck ship late today.  The 'Aurora Australis'has the highest ice-breaking rating of the three vessels asked to respond.

Expedition spokesman explained that expedition members could also be rescued by helicopter. He emphasized the Shokalskiy is well stocked with food and is in no danger. "Scientists continued their experiments measuring temperature and salinity through cracks in the surrounding ice" he said. A member of the scientific crew commented the weather was pretty mild and the ship looks solid. "I think we'll be good" he was reported saying.

The aim of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition is to follow the route explorer Douglas Mawson travelled a century ago to analyse how different environmental attributes changed in the past 100 years.